Congressman Schneider Visits

21 Adar I, 5774 February 21, 2014

This Week at CJHS

Congressman Schneider Speaks

CJHS Musical Showcase

David Weiss Halivni Speaks

Tigers Win!

From the P.O.

Curriculum and Beyond

AMC

Parent Survey

STAND UPdate

Mazal Tov

Baruch Dayan Emet

A Taste of Torah

Alumni Trivia

Save the Date

Tuesday, Feb. 25 Curriculum and Beyond Tuesday, March 4 - Sunday, March 9 Model U.N.

P.O. Corner

The P.O. is pleased to continue the gift card "Gelt" program. This program is designed to help families earn money toward their children's junior year Panim program and/or the Senior Israel Experience. Faculty and staff can also buy Gelt to support programs provided for the school by the P.O. By buying things you ordinarily purchase anyway, you can earn money which will be credited to your family or class for designated school trips. Contact Sheri Sandrof at ssandrof@cjhs.org or call her at 847.324.3723.

Community News and Events

"Good Jews," "Bad Jews" and the Relationships

Among Us

Please Join Us For An Amazing Learning Opportunity as Mechon Hadar Comes To Chicago! Sunday, February 23, 2014, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at Anshe Emet Synagogue, Co-Sponsored by CJHS 3751 North Broadway Street, Chicago, Illinois 60613 Every religion struggles with questions of who is in and who is out, of maintaining boundaries even as we uphold openness and the desire to learn from all. We will explore texts both ancient and modern about the lines that connect and divide Jews. We will investigate law, liturgy, and narrative as we strive to deepen our understanding of boundaries and the ways they are both affirmed and transgressed.

Special Needs Services in the Jewish Community,

Present and Future The Sidney and Frances Avner Torah Learning Center of Northbrook Invites you to the fourth annual Jack Ogron Memorial Lecture:

Congressman Schneider on Immigration Congressman Brad Schneider (Illinois 10th) was invited to speak this morning in tefillah by our Advocacy Club on behalf of DEAP, our new tikkun olam initiative. The Advocacy branch has been focusing on advocating for comprehensive immigration reform all year, and everyone was tremendously excited to welcome Congressman Schneider, parent of CJHS alum Adam Schneider ('11), and our elected representative to the United States Congress, to address this topic with our school. Congressman Schneider spoke in the strongest terms about the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform, including addressing the deportation issue and breaking up of families. He spoke of the economic benefits of immigration, highlighting the need to recognize and avail ourselves of the millions of hardworking individuals who wish to contribute to the social and professional life of the U.S.A. Congressman Schneider maintained his view that U.S. citizenship should not be stratified, and that one, uniformly applied standard should enable any honest, hardworking individual so minded to legally earn citizenship in our country. "The basis of the American experiment is the idea that any person has the opportunity to be a citizen and that there is only one class of citizenship."

"What Can We Do Next?: Special Needs Services in the Jewish Community, Present

and Future" Sunday, February 23 7:00 p.m. Torah Learning Center of Northbrook, 2548 Jasper Court, Northbrook

Introductory Torah thoughts by Rabbi Moshe Katz, Founder and Director of Chicago Torah Network

Remarks by panel members Deni Rosen, Founder, Keshet

Ma-Amin Program Abbie Weisberg, CEO/Executive Director, Keshet

Rabbi Stuart Litwack, Judaics Study Coordinator, Keshet Ma-Amin Program

Rabbi Zelik Moscowitz, Director, Stuart I Raskas Friendship Circle

Gayle Malvin, Director, JCC Day Camping Services Brian Rubin, Attorney, Rubin Law

Sherri Schneider, Founder, Family Benefits Solutions, Inc.

Free and open to the community!

RSVP strongly encouraged- 847.272.7255 or info@torahlearningcenter.com www.torahlearningcenter.com

JUF Camp Tov

Calling all teenagers! Are you a teen who wants to volunteer? Or grow as a leader? Or research what it means to be a Jewish girl? Or explore the ins and outs of philanthropy? Or learn more about Israel? If you answered "yes" to ANY of those questions, JUF has a program for you! JUF is offering FIVE DISTINCT PROGRAMS in the 2014-2015 school year and we have something for everyone! To learn more and apply for Diller Teen Fellows, Research Training Internship, Voices, Write on for Israel, and Camp TOV, click here.

Sponsor Breakfast

What's better than a birthday celebration with friends? Celebrate your student's birthday or other milestone with a special breakfast at CJHS.

For a donation of $180 (10x chai), bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice will be served to everyone. Announcements will be made in Tefillah and in the dining hall, and the occasion will also be listed in our weekly E-News and on the school announcement board. If you have any questions, please call 847.324.3713 or email idrazin@cjhs.org. Order forms are

Rabbi David Weiss Halivni Speaks

This afternoon, our seniors had the privilege of learning from the famous Talmud scholar and commentator, Rabbi David Weiss Halivni, in their Modern Jewish Thought seminar. Our students have read two chapters from his post-Holocaust theology treatise called "Breaking the Tablets." A survivor of the Holocaust, Professor Halivni spoke about the growth of his own personal theology in the wake of this horrific experience. Rabbi Halivni is excited to count his grandson, CJHS senior Avidan Halivni, among this afternoon's listeners.

Tigers Back in the Game

available online here.

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2013-2014 Dates

:: 847.470.6700

Saturday night, the varsity basketball team snapped its four game losing streak with a 52-50 win against Westminster Christian Academy. Senior Jeremy Goodman hit the game-winning shot with 2.8 seconds left. He led the team with 14 points, while junior Josh Wolf added 12. Wednesday, the varsity won again, defeating defeated Hinckley-Big Rock 78-45. Avidan Halivni led the way with 20 points, while Hillel Schwartz added 17, and Jeremy Goodman had 12. Team spirits were riding high as we headed towards Senior Night!

CJHS Highlights vs. Westminster

Unfortunately, the varsity came up just short against Round Lake on Senior Night 62-58. However, every senior came up huge in their final home game in a packed Caplan Gymnasium. The starters, Hillel Schwartz, Jonathan Chasin, Josh "Gingi" Aaronson, Evan "Dusty" Gorstein, and Yarden Michael, blitzed the opposition during the first quarter, overwhelming them with their heated pressure. Nathaniel Moses, Jeremy Goodman, Joshua Silverman, and Avidan Halivni then came in and continued the relentless defense--a staple of CJHS basketball that was pointed out multiple times in the pregame speeches by the juniors. It was a fantastic, heart-filled game, a truly

great culmination to the seniors' careers at CJHS. We play Saturday night against ICJA at 9:30 at Fairview Middle School, right next to Hillel Torah.

Many thanks to our generous photographer Mitchell Liss, to Coach Newlander forthe video footage, and to our every-faithful sportscaster Isaac Johnston.

From the P.O.

This past Tuesday evening, CJHS faculty, Dr. Rebecca Schorsch and Mr. Dale Griffith presented an outstanding and thought-provoking program: "A Dialogue Between Judaism and Christianity." Many community members have requested copies of Dr. Schorsch and Mr. Griffith's in-depth and inspiring remarks; we are working to make those available. Our thanks to Dr. Schorsch and Mr. Griffith for sharing their wisdom, and for reminding us of how lucky our children are to be their students. Additional thanks go to Diane Halivni for coordinating the program and to our amazing in-house support: Michelle

Friedman, Michele Agbodza, and Igor Burda. A very special thank you to the dozens of parents and community members who attended the event-- we'd love to continue this conversation. Please feel free to share your feedback about Tuesday's program with us at po@cjhs.org.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES -

Kol Isha: Voices of Women in the Bible

Monday March 10, March 17, April 7, April 28, and May 12, 9:15- 11:30 a.m. at CJHS Award winning educators Dr. Betsy Katz and Fran Alpert are teaching a spring course open to the CJHS community! Topics include Esther and Ruth, Women in the Egypt Narrative, Women in the Book of Judges, Women in King David's Life, and Archeology and the Bible, and more! To register, please mail a $100 check made out to Betsy Katz, 744 Laurel Ave, Highland Park, 60035. Questions? Contact Betsy at bracha@comcast.net.

The Holiday Kosher Baker: A Baking Workshop With Paula Shover Tuesday, March 11, 2014 - 7:45 p.m. at Beth Shalom Join a group of CJHS parents at Congregation Beth Shalom sisterhood program and learn the secrets of great kosher baking! Perfect for Purim! RSVP to po@cjhs.org and bring a $15 check made out to CBS Sisterhood. Learn more about Paula's amazing talents and her unique journey to become nationally known hip kosher baker at www.paulaspastry.com. Beth Shalom's address is 3433 Walters Ave, in Northbrook.

JUF's Jewish Day School Night Tuesday, April 1, 2014 - 7:15 p.m Open to parents, teachers and board members. Dessert reception at The Holiday Inn North Shore 5300 W Touhy Ave, Skokie

Featured speaker Dr. Rona Novick will address the issue of Bully, Bullied or Bystander: The Roles children Play. Dr. Novick is a nationally acclaimed expert on bullying and author of BRAVE the bullying prevention program for use in schools throughout the country. Watch for a reminder card coming shortly in the mail! Find the CJHS P.O. on Facebook here .

Curriculum & Beyond - This Coming Tuesday!

Join us on February 25, for our annual Curriculum and Beyond night, where prospective parents and students can come discover more about what makes Chicagoland Jewish High School so special both in and out of the classrooms.

6:45 p.m. Welcome Enjoy an introduction to the many diverse extra curricular opportunities available at CJHS.

7:00 p.m. Model Lessons Interact and learn with Chicagoland Jewish High School teachers. Visit multiple classrooms and experience for yourself our dynamic, engaging approach

to learning.

8:30 p.m. Reception Eat a well deserved snack while mingling with CJHS staff, faculty, students and other prospective families.

Click here to register. Questions? Contact Lily Zoberman, Director of Admissions at lzoberman@cjhs.org or 847.324.3706.

American Math Competition (AMC) at CJHS

Each February, over 350,000 students in roughly 6,000 U.S. and international schools compete in this contest. The top 2.5% of the AMC 10 and the top 5% of the AMC 12 participants are invited to take the next contest in the sequence (AIME) that eventually leads to the International Mathematics Olympiad. The exam's goals are to strengthen the mathematical potential of high school students, to encourage interest in mathematics, and to provide students with a fun and challenging experience. Congratulations to this year's contestants: Josh Aaronson, Sara Behn, Leora Calamaro, Jonah Glick-Unterman, Evan Gorstein, Benji Fishbaum, Kayla Fishbein, Joe Kupferberg, Yoni Maltsman, David Weisskopf, and Ranan Vales. Many thanks to Mr. Baumstark and Ms. Rostker for proctoring the contest and Dr. Yuen for working with our students after school to prepare them.

Measuring Success Parent Survey

By now, you should have received an email inviting you to take part in a survey, produced by the firm Measuring Success, about your level of satisfaction with our school. Your participation in this survey is vital to our school. The survey measures our performance and provides crucial input into our process of continuous improvement and planning. Our goal is a 100% response rate to ensure that we hear all parent voices. (Haven't received it? Check your spam folder!) The data collection, analysis, and reporting will be handled by the independent third party, Measuring Success, a strategy consulting firm that works with Jewish day schools to develop tools to measure their performance. Measuring Success will conduct the survey itself and handle all of your survey responses confidentially. Our school will receive an aggregate report of the results and will not have access to individual survey responses (unless you choose to self-identify). We encourage you to tell us what you think we're doing right, what we can improve on, and what is important to you. Your input is valuable information and we fully intend to act upon the results of this survey. If you don't tell us, we'll never know! Thank you in advance for your participation in this important project. Please note that the survey will only be available through Tuesday, March 4.

Alumni Trivia

Which pioneer CJHS graduate is now a teacher? Hint--she was seen teaching math around CJHS not too many years ago!

STAND UPdate

Senior Evan Gorstein reports, "As we begin to approach Purim, it's extremely important that we remain on the lookout for modern Hamans and would-be perpetrators of genocide. In South Sudan, this threat no longer remains a hypothetical; since December, it has manifested itself in lost lives and displaced people. Fighting between the opposition forces and the government rages on even amidst the ongoing negotiations for peace that are taking place. Both sides have heavily recruited child soldiers into their ranks, a huge violation of human rights. What began as a political battle in high levels of government has spilled into the whole country, polarizing divided ethnic groups that were already at odds from previous conflicts. These ethnic divisions motivate the majority of the violence that is currently taking place, even though the conflict is fundamentally a political one. Because a military victory for either side is unlikely, the South Sudanese people need a comprehensive peace process that both sides can support. The current peace talks could offer this solution, and the new South Sudanese nation can potentially overcome an early hurdle in its national history to emerge as a socially unified country with an inclusive and accountable government."

Mazal Tov

Mazal tov to CJHS baseball coach Shaya Avner on his recent marriage to Tamar Silva. Coach Avner will start spring training with our Tigers as soon as we get some spring to train in.

Baruch Dayan Emet

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Robert Belgrad, father of CJHS Jewish Studies teacher Rabbi Marc Belgrad. Shiva will be at 472 Thorndale Dr., Buffalo Grove, IL, today until 4 p.m., Saturday night from 7-10 p.m., and Sunday from 1-8 p.m.

We also regret to announce the passing last week of Susan Jacobs, sister of CJHS Art Teacher, Mrs. Marla Snyder, after a long illness. Condolences can be sent to Mrs. Snyder in Highland Park. Hamakom Yinachem Etchem B'toch Sh'ar Avalei Tziyon V'Yerushalayim. May God's presence comfort the Belgrad, Jacobs, and Snyder families among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

A Taste of Torah

In the very first law of Maimonides' Laws of Megillah (Yad, Hilchot Megillah 1:1), the medieval sage states that everyone is obligated in the reading of Megillat Esther and even children should be trained to read it. Shockingly he also says the following: Similarly, Torah study should be neglected to hear the reading of the Megillah. Surely, this applies to the other mitzvot of the Torah: the observance of all of them is

superseded by the reading of the Megillah. There is nothing that takes priority over the reading of the Megillah except the burial of a meit mitzvah - a corpse that has no one to take care of it. There is only one positive commandment in the Jewish tradition that supersedes the reading of the Megillah at its appointed time. The second blessing over the reading of Megillat Esther speaks to why the public reading is so central to Jewish life and the stakes it holds for Jews in all eras: Blessed are you, HaShem our God, that did miracles for our ancestors in those days and in these ones (bayamim hahem bazman

hazeh). By telling the story of the Megillah and participating in the other mitzvot of Purim, Jews place themselves within a continuous narrative of history. Our methods of storytelling, and emphasis on keeping these narratives alive, have sustained the Jewish people over time. For Jews, the reading of the megillah suggests that miracles are not distant recollections of the golden

ages of yore, but an active engagement with who we are today. What could be more important than that?

--Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver

Alumni Trivia

Deanna Levin Abrams ('05) has been teaching math at Barrington High School (Mr. Scher and Mr. Griffith's old stomping grounds) for four years; she lives on the North Shore with her husband Brett and their infant son, Gabi. Deanna kvells, "[Barrington] is amazing, my students are fantastic, and my colleagues are great; they are always inspiring me and challenging me to improve my instruction. This year I am teaching geometry, trigonometry and pre-calculus. Prior to teaching, I vowed to never teach geometry; ironically, it has turned in to one of my favorite classes! Funny how things work

out." "In addition, I am extremely busy with my new part time business: All in a Year Photobook Design. I design photo books for individuals-- bnei mitzvah, weddings, vacations, to baby books. In the age of digital pictures, people forget how special it is to have printed photo albums for life's unforgetable moments. I love turning people's memories into books they can enjoy for years to come. In fact, I attribute the start of my passion for photobook construction to my experience as Yearbook Editor at CJHS!" Next week: where are the other alumni Levins--including the blushing bride pictured above?

Sponsored Breakfast Many thanks to Eleanor Parker, our stalwart librarian for sponsoring bagels in honor of all the February birthdays!

Shabbat Shalom

Candlelighting this week will be at 5:11 p.m. Shabbat shalom!